


Out of Time: Act 1

by Machaeus



Series: Out Of Time [1]
Category: Final Fantasy Series, Slightly Damned
Genre: Angel (SDamned), Demon (SDamned), Desperation, Fire Demon, Gen, Time Mage, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-02-29 18:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18783367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Machaeus/pseuds/Machaeus
Summary: Kieri, Kazai, and Zahariah arrive on Medius in the deep of winter.  After an attack by three Demons, they meet a fourth - a grumpy purple Demon that claims to have "Time Magic," and has knowledge of the future that Hell's Army brings.It's not a pleasant one - and this "Buwaro" has been unable to stop it, thus far.  They have about five years until the end of the Worlds...all of them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Out of Time**

**Chapter 1**

 

{First order of business,} Kazai Suizahn said as he spread out the map on the table in their hotel room. {Find out where we are, and where our fellow Angels might have arrived. We can regroup from there and find out what's going on.}

Zahariah Sanjulo frowned thoughtfully as he looked towards Kieri, who was staring out the window at the crowded city street below. {It's late winter,} he said, turning back to Kazai. {We'll need supplies to get anywhere. We also don't know the local language, save for your sister. She'll be our main hope for getting any news.}

Kieri wasn't listening as the two made their plans, though she did explain their location when they asked for her help, and she was able to help them understand the map itself. Other than that, her eyes were out on the darkening sky. Something seemed off – that black vortex that swallowed them was terrifying, but to dump them on Medius? Way too strange.

Something in her stirred. The 15-year-old Angel girl was certain that there was something truly _wrong_ here. She was just damned, as Medians might say, if she knew what it was.

Finally, the two boys turned in for the night, and Kieri joined them, but she couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to go topsy-turvy.

 

@@@@

 

It had been a single long, cold week since Kieri, Kazai, and Zahariah had been yanked from Heaven and thrust into Medius without much warning. The three had been mostly lost, often utterly confused, and more than a bit worried, though Kieri was able to at least translate for them and get them shelter. The town of Farun had been incredibly respectful, and had done everything they could to make the Angels feel comfortable. In time, Kieri began to listen to rumor mills about town, trying to get a handle on what was happening for them.

This had only lasted until her unfortunate encounter with Toski. Kieri had tried to stop the Guardian committing a robbery, unaware of her foe's true identity, and Toski had cursed her for her impudence. Kieri quickly learned a bit of control over the spell that had afflicted her, but she still felt ashamed of herself for allowing it to happen.

She even began going outside less, until her brother practically dragged her out one day.

As they walked along Farun's streets that day, Kieri mostly kept her head down, only speaking when either her brother or Zaha spoke to her. As they walked, a scream of shock ripped through the air. They all turned to see a red-scaled Fire Demon stumble out of an alley. Being the noble warriors they were, the three quickly gave chase after it as it ran. Kieri found herself beginning to lag behind, and in a moment, she was ambushed by two more Demons – to the additional screams of the locals. She barely drew her blade in time to deflect the blow of the Water Demon and lunged to her left. The Earth Demon slammed his axe into the ground right where she had been a moment before. Cutting defensively, she managed to parry a large swipe, and got clawed in the face for her trouble.

As she backed away, the Water Demon attacked again, not letting up and viciously slicing her open while the Earth Demon circled. She was already in it deep.

 _'Mother was right,'_ she thought bitterly as her foes cornered her. _'I really am just a failure of a warrior.'_ Her teeth grit in rage at herself.

 

@@@@

 

As Kazai and Zahariah ran after the scaly Fire Demon, their quarry sent a bolt of flame backwards at them. Kazai barely deflected the attack, at which point the Demon slipped down an alley. They arrived to find it had vanished from sight. {Curses,} Kazai growled. {Split up and find it!}

{Do not worry about him. There is no time.} Both boys turned, surprised at the formal-sounding Angelic, only to see _another_ Fire Demon, this one purple of fur and red of eye, dressed in red pants and what looked like a tattered black bathrobe. Kazai readied his axe, but the new Demon shook his head. {You have no time for this,} he stated plainly, {you two need to come with me. Kieri is in trouble, and more than you know falls on her shoulders.}

Zahariah blinked. {How – what?} he asked, confused. {What're you talking about?}

{Just follow me,} the strange Demon sighed, seemingly weary and frustrated. He stalked down the street at a decent clip, ignoring the murmurs of confusion and fear from the Medians. Kazai and Zahariah glanced at each other, the former grimacing and nodding, and they followed him, Kazai gripping his axe just in case.

It didn't take long for them to come across Kieri, busy with two Demons – Earth and Water – and with many scratches on her. She looked about ready to fall. {Kieri!} Kazai roared, charging into the fray. The Water Demon growled and unleashed a blast of ice, quickly catching the young man in a snare. {Damn beast, let me – }

"Burn Ray." A lance of blue light, fading to black around its edges, lanced from the Fire Demon's hand and into the Water Demon. She yelped in sudden pain and was sent skidding from the Angel she was trying to target. The Earth Demon, stunned, bore his axe and swung, only for the Fire Demon to bring up a staff – seemingly from nowhere – and bring it up to block the attack. The staff shattered under the force of the hit, but after chopping past the Fire Demon's arm, it turned blue hot and melted into slag. The smaller Demon, hissing in pain, snarled, {I am Buwaro Elexion, and I am a Time Mage. I wield the cosmic forces, I tug the threads of space and time, and I pry fire and stones from the night sky. I will not be denied!}

{You're a crazy idiot, is what you are,} the Earth Demon snarled, preparing to lunge at the injured mage before him. Zahariah leapt up in front of the bull-like Demon and slammed his two fist-daggers into the beast's chest, eliciting a scream of pain.

{Zaha, move!} the Fire Demon shouted, and Zahariah was airborne again. "Burn Ray!" he intoned again, the blazing lance ripping into their foe's chest and out his back. The Earth Demon fell, the sheer damage slaying him instantly.

Kazai, finally breaking free of his imprisonment with his axe, landed amidst a crash of ice, the shards scattering everywhere. {Who...are you?} he asked the Fire Demon.

{I told you,} he replied, stumbling towards the injured Kieri, {I am Buwaro Elexion. I am a Time Mage.}

{There's no such thing as 'time' magic, is there?} Zahariah frowned as Buwaro pulled out bandages from his robes. {And where did you get those?}

{I am a Time Mage,} he stated crossly, before kneeling to work on wrapping up Kieri's injuries. As he finished and helped her stand, she nodded gratefully, though she was still afraid of him. {Are you going to live?} he asked.

{I think so, but...why are you helping us?} she asked.

{Many reasons,} Buwaro stated. {We should retire to your inn room for now, I can explain once we are safe and resting.}

{Alright,} Kazai scowled, {but you'd better have good answers.}

Buwaro snorted. {I am out of mana and I have lost my staff,} he stated frankly. {I am less threat to you than Talus and Lazuli were to me.}

{Who?} the Suizahn boy asked, blinking.

{The two Demons. Talus, the male, Earth. Lazuli, female, Water. The Fire Demon you were chasing was Dakos.}

{...hm,} Zahariah mumbled as they made their way back to the inn. They did need to recuperate, after all...but this Demon's knowledge and apparent frustration were quite confusing to him. Why would he know so much about these other two, if he wasn't on their side?

 

@@@@

 

Three Angels and one Demon sat down in the inn room. {Alright,} Kazai scowled, {start talking.}

{I was going to,} Buwaro stated calmly, though his eyes were hard as he stared at the boy. {You never were too fond of me.}

Kazai blinked. {Ex...cuse me?} he asked.

{Right,} Buwaro groaned. {Okay, I will start from the beginning.} He took a breath. {So, the best way to explain this is without all the excess baggage. To make a very, very long story short enough, I have developed a way to use Time Magic. It's basically the manipulation of places, space, time, and cosmic energy. Speeding up people or slowing them down, calling on the fire of a star, plucking meteorite shards out of space, teleporting, storing items in little pocket dimensions. The last part is how I stored and drew the bandages and my staff.}

Kieri's jaw dropped. {That...can't be possible,} she managed.

{It is,} he stated, eyes rolling in exasperation. {I know you guys never believe me but that's just how it works. I've had plenty of years to figure it out. I am even capable of traveling between Medius, Heaven, and Hell with time and ritual effort. But that is not important.

{The important bit,} he explained, {is that Hell's army is piercing the barrier Death put up with a ritual that is not Time Magic based. Instead, they are using outright blasphemy, committing ritual sacrifice of Angels and using their life energy to break the barrier. The process also calls down Angels to Medius equal to the number of Demons called up, and with their slowly growing numbers, they intend to take over Medius entirely, at any cost, and win the Great War.} He glowered at the floor. {Worse, they have co-opted a Guardian, and with his help, they are slaying any Guardian that would oppose their plans, which is going to kill the _planet_ in about five years. I do not want that to happen,} he growled.

Kieri blinked repeatedly. {That is...a terrifying prospect,} Kieri mumbled. It seemed impossible, but he was either crazy, or right – he was too convinced of his own story to be lying.

{To say the least,} Buwaro muttered, clearly frustrated, as he stared at the floor.

{Why do you care, though?} Kazai frowned. {Why aren't you joining them in the death and chaos? What possible – } Buwaro's eyes rose, and somehow, the young Angel felt the weight of this strange Demon's sheer weariness fall upon him. {Wh...what...are you – }

{Do not ask questions for which you cannot comprehend the answer,} Buwaro stated with a quiet, saddened demeanor. {...I should get a nap,} he mumbled, rolling onto his side and facing the window from his bed.

The three Angels glanced at each other as he rather rapidly fell asleep. The three of them, still worn out and mildly injured, decided to do the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Out of Time**

**Chapter 2**

 

When Kieri awoke, it was to a blood-red, cloudy sky. Thunder rumbled overhead, and it was hot as summer. She sat upright and glanced around to find that there was nothing but ruins around them – her, her friend and brother, and Buwaro. {What in Gaia's name?} she gasped. The sun shone through the clouds for a moment, leading to even greater shock – why would the sky be so crimson if the sun was up?

{Good Gaia!} Kazai yelped, startling the other two boys awake.

{What – where are we?!} Zahariah muttered.

{Bloody underworld-fornication.} All eyes turned to Buwaro as he dropped his Angelic "curse." {I've never brought more than myself along before,} he scowled, standing up and brushing off his rear.

{Wh...where are we?} Kieri asked.

Buwaro winced. {Wrong question. We're right where we went to sleep. We're in Farun, in Fragaria, on Medius. The correct question is _when_ are we.}

All three Angels' eyes widened. {Wh...when?} Zahariah asked. {Are you saying we're in the future?!}

{Five years into the future, plus seven months and four days,} Buwaro replied, his tone almost clinical. {You wanted to know why I wanted to save Medius? Many, many reasons – this chief among them,} he stated, sweeping his hand across the devastated, decimated village. {This is where things end up, no matter how hard I try. I've been trying for longer than you can imagine to stop... _this!_ } he snapped at the bloody sky.

{...h...how many times?} Kieri asked.

Buwaro turned to her, utter misery filling his eyes, and he sagged to his knees. {I...I've done this more times than I can count,} he mumbled. {Only twelve times have I even come close to saving this world. Each time, it was because you survived the Gathering in St. Curtis, set to happen in about two months after when we met.} He swallowed, and his head dropped down. {I...I was sixteen the first time the Gathering occurred, and by my knowledge of how time works...I'm now ninety-four years old.}

Shock rippled through the three Angels. {N...ni...ninety-four _years...?_ } Kazai breathed. Buwaro only nodded, tears threatening in his eyes. {Good Gaia...you don't look any older than me or my sister.}

{My sister, Sakido...she wants to see this world, and its beauty,} the ancient Demon stated. {She always has. She died the first time I got here, and...and I've never been able to stop it from happening, without keeping her in Hell.} He looked up at them, with a strange hope in his eyes, even as the tears fell. {But now...now, maybe, I can.}

{What'cha mean?} Zahariah asked.

{This occurrence,} Buwaro stated, sweeping his hands around them, {is proof that I _can_ pull more than one person at a time. If I can do that for time, then space should be easy.}

{...can we go back?} Kieri asked.

Buwaro faltered. {I think so,} he nodded. {I'll have to try, certainly.} He began to meditate, and slowly, the world around them distorted, warped...

Before dumping them on their beds in Farun. {Whoa,} Kazai murmured as he untangled himself from his two allies. {That was...}

{Unreal,} Zahariah agreed.

{Now you know the stakes,} Buwaro said, {and you have no choice but to believe them.}

{No kidding,} Kieri mumbled. {So...where do we go from here?} she asked.

{The Gathering is set to occur in St. Curtis during the Spring Flower Festival,} Buwaro explained. {We have to get there in two months. We have the time, even with the snowy roads, but we can't dawdle too long, either.}

{Alright,} Kazai frowned, clearly worried. {I...suppose this is the stuff legends are made of,} he chuckled weakly.

{I can hear that,} Buwaro agreed. {Still...we must be cautious.} No one could argue that. They'd all seen, first-hand, what could happen if they failed.

 

@@@@

 

Buwaro had little in the way of funds; he'd spent what he had on healing potions to facilitate his survival for their current trip. As a result, the four needed to spend some time preparing supplies for their journey.

While the three Angels bought some camping supplies, Buwaro slipped into the woods, telling his new allies that he was in need of a new staff. They got their supplies in about an hour, but it was only after two that Buwaro returned. {We can leave in the morning,} he said, bearing a new branch at about his height, pulling an old knife from his pocket. {I will need that time to enchant it to its full strength.}

{Enchant it?} Kieri asked, surprised.

{Yes,} Buwaro replied.

{S-surely that'd take almost a week,} she stammered.

The Fire Demon gave them a great, sharp-toothed grin. {I am a Time Mage,} he said. Kazai gave a weak chuckle at the realization of how useful such a power was.

{You can do that?} Zahariah asked, sounding a bit dazed at the possibility.

{It takes my mana to do, but yes,} Buwaro nodded.

With that, he took a moment to meditate, and began whittling away at the staff with a blur of action. Within a single minute, he'd stripped the bark and shaped the staff, and after mashing some scavenged herbs together, chewing them, and applying them to the staff, the wooden implement began to softly glow blue for several seconds. Once he was done, he seemed to return to a normal rate of motion, laying the staff out on his aged robe; the staff was barely even glowing at that point, to the three Angels' confusion. {It should be ready in the morning,} Buwaro yawned, clearly worn out. {Give me a few minutes to nap and I'll be able to join you for the day.}

{Alright,} Kazai said, clearly weirded out by what he had seen.

The trio descended the stairs into the inn proper, wherein Kieri found a pot of coffee. She wasn't sure it was the best of ideas, but she asked for a cup of it to bring up to Buwaro, and left it on the nightstand.

A few minutes later, he was down the stairs and with the three, looking rather sheepish. {Thank you,} he mumbled to Kieri. {That really helped.}

{I-it's no trouble,} she smiled. She wasn't sure why, but he looked almost lost, even a little embarrassed, by her kindness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Out of Time**

**Chapter 3**

 

The rest of the day was spent looking over supplies, thinking about what would be needed, and readying for the next day and the journey involved. Kieri quickly noticed that Buwaro was very awkward about talking to people. It was almost as if he was afraid of people.

Then again, if he was so old, perhaps he was afraid of getting close to someone again – someone who might die. Surely something along those lines had happened in that time.

She finally worked her courage up around sunset. {I've noticed you're very...shy, most of the time,} she stated, {and yet you clearly have the ability to be charming if you want. Is there a reason you seem to guard yourself so much?}

The Time Mage blinked, before curling slightly on himself. {I see,} he said quietly. {I...I have lost a lot of friends,} he admitted, {and I have lost them many, many times. It is...hard for me to try and connect with someone, new or old, because I know I may watch them die...and it hurts to know that, or to see it.}

Kieri winced. {I understand,} she nodded. {I haven't lost anyone myself, yet...but I know how hard it can be to open up to people.}

{Mm.} He paused. {It...it can be extra-hard with you.}

Kieri started at that. {Why's that?} she frowned.

Buwaro froze for a moment, as if he hadn't meant to say it. "Hell with it," he mumbled. {I...always remember how kind and gentle you were, almost always, unless your...history somehow intruded,} he explained. She blinked at his careful wording. {There were a few times where you...I mean, you sometimes just...snapped. Because of the damage your mother did to your psyche.

{And while I know it may be hard to view it in this way,} he stated, as if he'd said it before, {it is the truth – your mother committed horrible abuse against you. Your father was clearly a positive influence, at least in terms of character strength, but your mother deserves to be punished in ways that would make the damned in Hell cringe in sympathetic agony, ways that would bring a God to tears.}

Kieri gawked at his words, soft but full of hidden fury. Clearly, he'd learned to control his anger against this feeling, and yet it still rankled him. Was her mother truly that awful? After a long minute of silence, she had to conclude that she was. {You're not wrong,} Kieri murmured. {It's just...she wasn't trying to hurt me. She wanted me to be stronger.}

{She wanted you to be the tool through which she lived her vengeance,} Buwaro stated with an almost clinical tone. {She wanted you to be able to take on all of Hell yourself, not for your sake, but for hers. She did not want a single one of the monsters that took her family to survive. All the while, she did not realize, and did not care, that they had all been killed in the attack that they'd committed.}

Kieri winced. {Sh-she...she isn't _that_ bad,} she protested softly.

{She is. I spoke to her one time, and found a well of hatred so deep that I could not see the bottom without diving into it, and I did not dare stare into that abyss too long.}

The young Angel swallowed. {She...is that full of anger?} she breathed.

{Yes,} Buwaro stated, closing his eyes. {The only things that could even potentially open her eyes lie on your arms, and I'm not even willing to try at this point.}

She winced again. {You...know about my scars, then,} she clarified, turning away.

{I know that you made them, and why you made them, and that you are full of pain greater than her anger,} he stated in a sad, quiet tone. {And that is why, sometimes, you would lash out at those who hurt those you cared about. Almost never if it hurt you – you did not care about yourself – but you would gladly beat someone within an inch of their life for hurting your friends or your brother.} His mood became even more somber. {And you always felt like the scum of Hell itself afterward, as if you'd committed the most horrendous atrocities known to the living.}

Kieri's eyes fell. {I'm sorry,} she breathed, already knowing who she'd targeted.

To her surprise, Buwaro shook his head. {You don't have to apologize to me,} he stated calmly. {You only ever hurt me twice. Once to try and keep me from getting hurt in the Gathering...the other was explicitly my fault.}

{Wh...why would you say it is your fault?} Kieri frowned.

He winced. {That is a story for another time,} he murmured.

{Then, why would I need to keep you from getting hurt?} she asked, looking back at him curiously. {You're so powerful, I can't imagine doing anything but getting in _your_ way.}

Buwaro looked away for a moment, before turning his gaze to the ground. {That is only in this timeline. When we first met, though, I was...weak. Stupid. Pathetic beyond all measure,} he grimaced. His expression grew hard at the memory. {Naïve beyond anything I have seen since. I got people hurt, repeatedly, from my ignorance.

{Things happened to me, rather than me reacting to them, or acting to stop them or cause them, because of how stupid I was; I changed nothing. I had not learned anything of value, and I was practically without value, save as emotional support, a shoulder to cry on. I could not use magic, at all; I could not fight, at all; I could not speak to anyone without terrifying them because of what I was. That is the only thing that has not changed,} he grumbled.

{I see,} Kieri murmured sadly. {Are you sure that is true?}

{I could not read, write, or do basic math until after my first reset,} he stated frostily, his tone full of bitter wrath. {I could not use the most basic Fireball spell until three years into my first run against the Hellions, long before I could reset. I've already half-forgotten the methods. I even believed that I could talk their general down from committing his genocide. I – } He paused, then closed his eyes and sighed. {I'm sorry,} he murmured, {I realize now why you asked. You assumed I was hard on myself, the way you are.}

{Yes,} she nodded quietly. Silence fell. {You hate yourself,} she murmured. {The way I hate myself.}

He winced. {I hate what I was, yes,} he replied, just as soft, {and I have a hard time telling if I've really changed for the better.}

{I will help you.} He jerked slightly, staring at her. She smiled up at him. {I can show you how strong you've become.

He stared at her for a bit, mouth slightly agape, before smiling sadly, eyes misting up. {Thank you,} he mumbled, gaze turning to the ground. {We should get some sleep.}

{Mhm.}

 

@@@@

 

The next morning came. The four were on the road again in short order, though Buwaro seemed on edge. {There are usually two bandits here,} he murmured. {I suppose they're not going to attack us this time. It might be best that we stop them from hurting someone else.}

{Perhaps,} Kieri replied hesitantly. He turned his eyes to the forest, scanning for the two thugs, but found himself unable to spot them. Kieri did the same, scanning the opposite side of the forest, and Kazai and Zahariah helped, but they couldn't find any sign of a person. {Perhaps they are ahead somewhere?} she asked.

{Perhaps,} Buwaro frowned. {Let's hurry.}

An hour passed, but no ambush came. Buwaro seemed more frustrated by this, but he kept his eyes forward to try and push it from his mind. As they were walking, though, they heard a cry of "Now!" and the twang of a drawstring.

The four turned in time for Zahariah to get shot in the chest with a crossbow bolt and sent flying back several feet from the force. {Zahariah!} Kazai shouted.

{Kieri, how well can you heal?} Buwaro barked, standing forward in a defensive position to keep the five approaching bandits off of their group.

{Well enough,} she replied.

{Kazai, forward with me,} he stated, and the Suizahn boy hesitated, before letting Kieri take to the healing and going to the front of the battle. {Aim well, hit hard,} Buwaro stated, {don't let them get a second shot in if you can.} He then pointed his finger. "Burn Ray," he snarled, striking one of the bandits with his blue fire, sending one foe to the ground. Kazai was soon in the fray, his axe swishing into one bandit's shield and sending him to the ground, unharmed. {Aim for the neck, chest, or leg, not their shield or weapon!} Buwaro snapped.

{S-sorry,} Kazai muttered, his axe slamming deep into the bandit's sternum. The man choked, sputtered, and died. Another bandit struck at him with a short sword, the blade sliding along his shoulder and eliciting a gasp of pain, while a third swung a hand axe at the boy, sending him stumbling back with a deep gash in his arm. {We can't hold them off forever,} Kazai stated as the fourth strung his crossbow up again.

Buwaro was already stalking forward, and another roar of "Burn Ray!" escaped him, the blue flames striking the bandit with the crossbow. He screamed as he fell, and the weapon shot wildly, the bolt landing behind Buwaro. Kazai growled, swinging his axe for the axe-wielding bandit, his weapon gashing along the man's arm but not sending him down. Another slash came across Kazai's back, and the axe bit deep into his shoulder. {Kazai!} Buwaro yelled, starting to worry for their injuries. {Dammit!} he grimaced.

A shadow passed overhead, and Zahariah, wounded and bloody but alive, landed behind the axe-wielder before stabbing him in the back, tearing the pronged punching daggers free and sending him down. Buwaro nodded at the other Angel and pointed at the last bandit, his hands in the air, his weapon on the ground. "Burn Ray," he snarled, and the man screamed as he was seared in the chest, sent rolling into the snow. {Help me,} he told Zahariah, who nodded, looking somewhat shocked at the Demon's brutal attack. Buwaro's treatment kept Kazai alive, and Zahariah healed up the injury in full with his magic. Buwaro sighed in relief as the boy under his claws groaned.

Kieri came over and began healing her brother as well. {Kazai?} she asked.

{I'm okay,} the boy groaned.

{Good,} Buwaro sighed. {Crap...we should probably take several breaks on the road,} he sighed. {These are bad injuries, and we don't need everyone dragging and bleeding when we get into Riverside. Dragging is bad enough.}

{I can see that,} Kieri agreed. While Kieri worked on healing her brother, Buwaro grabbed the bandits' weapons, and found a cloth bag on what appeared to be the leader's person. With some more healing work from the three Angels, they were on the road again.

They didn't make it to Riverside until well after the moons rose. When they arrived, Buwaro quietly put the coins on the inn counter, saying, "One room for four please, and a dinner for each. And is there a bounty on bandits of late?"

The young woman started at his appearance. "Wh-wha – "

"Please not now," he groaned, pinching his sinuses. "We need to rest, we're exhausted and beat up."

"I see that," she mumbled, glancing at the three Angels with him.

"He is...gruff, but he is a good person," Kieri stated. "He means well, at least."

"...if you're sure," the lady frowned, taking fifteen silver coins and letting them have the rest – 35 silver remained. Buwaro was the first to crash that night, with Kieri following suit quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Out of Time**

**Chapter 4**

 

Kieri nuzzled into her nice bed. It was firm, yet so fluffy.

It took her several seconds to realize something was wrong. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at Buwaro's _huge_ muzzle. She wasn't sure why his muzzle would be huge until she glanced down at her rabbit self.

She'd honestly forgotten; her curse hadn't struck for some time, so perhaps she was due.

{Kieri?} Kazai groaned sleepily at the rabbit lying on Buwaro's chest. {Kieri!} he yelped, startling Buwaro awake. {What'd you do to my sister?!} he shouted, grabbing the Time Mage's jacket and shaking him – and throwing Kieri off of him onto the bed proper.

{What're you talking about?} Buwaro asked grumpily, shaking his head and trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep.

{Kazai, it wasn't him!} Kieri protested.

{Are you sure?} Kazai scowled, not taking his eyes off of Buwaro. {We don't know what else this Demon's 'time magic' is capable of!}

She sighed, already knowing where this was going. {Remember how I was getting mopey back in Farun? I'd...run into Toski,} she said with a wince. {She did this to me.}

Buwaro stared at the rabbit on the bed blearily for several seconds before closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. {Right,} he groaned. {I forgot about that Guardian breeding-dog this time. Maybe this Time Magic feces is damaging my memory.}

{B-breeding dog?} Kazai frowned. {Isn't she a rabbit?}

{I think that he's referring to a Lingo swear,} Zahariah yawned. {Morning, Ki...eri?} he grunted, surprised by the rabbit.

{Toski,} she mumbled.

{Great,} the Fire Angel yawned. {'Breed' me, I'm exhausted.}

Buwaro gave a chuckle at the attempt at swearing. {Well,} he groaned, stretching as Kazai let go of him, {the good news is, I've got one of my spells back.}

{Back?} Kieri asked, confused.

Buwaro nodded, sitting on the bed with a soft huff. {Each time I go back, I lose most of my spell retinue and the vast, _vast_ majority of my power,} he explained. {It, I guess it resets my power, though not my memories. It's a huge pain to say the least.}

{I see,} Kieri murmured strangely. {So you got one of your spells that you've learned 'back' as if you hadn't lost it?}

{That's the size of it,} the Fire Demon nodded.

{Another Time spell, I assume?} Zahariah asked.

{Yeah,} Buwaro replied, {though it's really just a simple boost for running speed. I've found it useful for when I need to get somewhere fast.}

{I bet,} Kazai murmured, surprised. {How long does it last?}

{Usually five minutes or so,} the Time Mage replied. {Dead useful, I can cross the entirety of Blossom Valley in a half-hour with this thing if I keep powering it. Takes less power than my Burn Ray spell, too.}

{That's neat,} Zahariah mumbled, eyebrows rising. Buwaro just smiled and nodded.

The four were soon on the street; the first thing they did was approach the local bounty office. Buwaro dropped off the three weapons and explained that they had slain five bandits, giving a description of each. The office paid 600 silver, 550 of it in the form of 11 gold crowns, to Buwaro's slight surprise. The young mage thanked the man and looked to his companions. {Need any gear, guys?} he asked with a smile.

{I think we're good for now,} Kazai shrugged. {We should be – }

A scream ripped through the air. Buwaro frowned, stalking out of the office and followed the sound, the three Angels not far behind him. They soon came across a badly wounded Jakkai lying in the snow, and their eyes followed a trail of blood and footprints to see a small, green-skinned _thing,_ barely taller than a Jakkai, with corded muscles, a stooped posture, and a knife. Buwaro's eyes widened. {That's new,} the Time Mage murmured, acquiring its attention.

{New?} Zahariah asked, already concerned. {But you say you've lived this _how_ many times?}

{Yeah, but I've never seen this – } he began, before it snarled at the four and lunged at them. {Kieri, heal,} Buwaro stated, stepping into the thing's way, and it struck at him as she worked on the wounded Jakkai. Its blade slashed across Buwaro's right calf, and he swung his staff to try and knock it off-balance, the weapon smacking it in the temple. It growled and struck again, the blade scraping his other shin and stabbing into the thigh. The Time Mage staggered, gasping for breath from the pain, as Zahariah stepped in and struck, stabbing it in the back of the skull and quickly ending its life.

As it fell, though, the thing _dissolved_ into purple-and-black smoke. Buwaro's eyes widened. {What in the...?} he mumbled, dumbfounded.

Silence fell for a moment. {You've never seen anything like this in _any_ of your time travel ventures?} Kazai asked, worried.

{No. The way it puffed, it have been _made_ out of magic, and that's about all I can tell you.} That declaration stunned everyone into silence as Kieri finished healing up the wounded Jakkai. The healed Median gratefully thanked the three Angels and the Demon, though he looked confused by it all, and hurried off. {So,} the Fire Demon groaned, {I'm going to need medical attention too...and probably a little time to figure out what that was.}

{Yes,} Kieri murmured, {it would be good to know.} She began working on his injury too, and once they were done healing up, the four returned to their inn room to discuss.

Once they were back, Buwaro took a meditative pose on the floor while the three Angels spoke. {I've never seen or heard of anything like that,} Kieri agreed. {It was no Median animal – I can only guess that Buwaro is correct. Like it was made of some foul ritual.} She shook her head. {It's a worrying prospect.}

{Is it possible that the Demons have another time traveler among them?} Zahariah asked Buwaro. Buwaro did not answer. It was like he wasn't hearing them. {Buwaro?} Zahariah asked again, starting to get worried.

The young man started, and shook his head of cobwebs. {I've got an inkling now,} he grumbled, {and it's worse than I thought.}

{How so?} Kieri asked.

The Time Mage nodded at the question. {So, what I was doing was projecting my mind into the ether to scan the latent magical energies of the area. They're much different than the last time. It seems that _thing_ was made purely out of tainted magical energy – and due to the local energies, there will likely be more of them.}

{Lovely,} Kazai groaned. {Any idea why they're appearing?}

{No,} Buwaro admitted, shaking his head, { but I've got a very strong feeling that I'm somehow responsible. All I can tell is that there's a place we need to go after we stop the Gathering – if we can.} He paused, closing his eyes to better visualize what he'd seen. {I saw a bright light of green distant over the horizon that seemed to call to me. It was _very_ clearly somewhere on Mt. Sentinel, though how I'd know that is beyond me.}

Kieri blinked at that. {You know that that's where we need to be, but you don't know how,} she summarized, and he nodded. {Creepy,} she shivered.

{No kidding,} the ancient Demon nodded. {It's also a new thing on this...time run,} he added, {just like the little monster. That's why I think I'm involved in this.}

The mood turned grim at that. {You think that your Time Magic has something to do with this, then?} Kazai asked quietly.

{It's the only thing I can think of that's changed – that even _could_ have changed – since I came back to this part of the timeline,} Buwaro admitted. {I'm just hoping my death isn't what fixes it all.}

Kieri started. {That...I mean,} she began, but the words died in her throat. Her mind shut down. {I feel the same,} she mumbled.

Silence fell. {We should probably do some more digging locally,} Buwaro explained, {find about any other local troubles. The local Trouble Help Center is good for that.}

{Hm,} Kazai nodded, {worth a shot.}

 

@@@@

 

With Kieri's help, the four were able to sign up with the Trouble Help Center and begin work. Buwaro had to team up with one of the boys, and Kieri with the other, as there were only two among them who spoke Lingo fluently, and an Angel would help to keep people from freaking out over the Demon among them. Buwaro elected to stay with Zahariah, so that Kieri and her brother could have some time.

As they began their work, Buwaro found himself watching the world around him carefully. The locals were afraid of him, as he knew would be the case, but it appeared that they had more of a "healthy respect" fear than a "horror" fear. It confused him, but he was doing a job, so he didn't have time to think about it. He wondered for a moment if slaying that goblin thing had done this.

 _'If so,'_ he was forced to admit to himself, _'it might be a good thing for me that such monsters are appearing. It means that I can show that I'm willing to help people out.'_ He didn't like that line of thinking, but there it was. He grimaced as he came to the realization that this was not a way he'd have ever thought before the first reset.

Before he lost what he'd treasured most.

He pushed the thought of _that_ moment from his mind quickly. He had to. There was no point in dwelling on what was forever lost. His feelings did not matter. He had to stop the end of Medius. Nothing else could be as important...never again.

That was when he heard the crack of breaking ice. His eyes widened – he'd completely forgotten this incident. {Zaha, follow me!} he snapped, hurrying towards the sound as fast as he could. As he ran, he incanted, "Step faster than the wind itself, where each second is a mile! Sprint!" In a moment, his running speed folded on itself, allowing him to reach the river in about 9 seconds – he hadn't expected it to be so far. "Hang on!" he growled to himself, rushing down the riverside, looking for some way to catch the boy without going into the drink.

He saw it – a discarded chain in an alley. Grabbing it, he hurried to the next bridge, cast the chain over, and shouted, "Grab on!" The boy sputtered, barely grabbing the chain in time, and Buwaro pulled as hard as he could, barely tugging the boy free of the water and into the air. He knew it wasn't going to be enough.

A moment later, Zahariah showed up on the wing and fluttered down, grabbing the boy and hauling him onto the bridge with the help of Buwaro's chain. Once there, the two began warming him up, Buwaro with his tattered robe and Zahariah with his Fire magic. The boy chattered and shivered for some time, then slowly stopped shivering as his body shut down. {He's still cold,} Zahariah noted.

{His body's giving up, it's not warming up enough,} Buwaro muttered, picking the boy up and hauled him into a nearby shop, setting him by the fireplace within so he could warm up properly. He soon passed out, but an hour and a doctor later, he was shivering and awake again.

The boy's mother thanked the two profusely, scolded and hugged her son, and paid them handsomely for their help. Buwaro stared at the 33 silver in his hands, utterly astounded by the woman's gratitude. "I...I can't," he choked. "This is a month and a half of eating."

"I've got plenty more," the woman said, "and a life is without price."

Buwaro's mouth was dry, so he only nodded and bowed deeply at first. "Thank you," he mumbled when he found his voice again.

When the pair arrived back at the inn, Zahariah asked him what she'd said, and he numbly explained. {I wasn't expecting such...gratitude,} he murmured. {I...had forgotten what it felt like.}

{What what felt like?} Kieri asked as she and her brother came in. {Buwaro? Your robe is soaked!}

{I need rest,} Buwaro mumbled. {Zaha, you tell them.} He flopped onto his belly on the bed, still reeling. He'd become nearly heartless; he'd been so callous for decades now, utterly unfeeling in his melancholy, so far beyond depressed that it was a wonder he hadn't given up. He'd often wondered why he fought.

He had already realized that he'd just been reminded of why he fought. Why he hadn't given up. The joy of seeing people smile at him. The feeling of warmth from their gratitude. The heartache they felt when he failed. The heartache _he_ felt when he failed.

He'd _forgotten_ how to feel. How to empathize. What was once his strongest trait had been buried under a mountain, thrown into the ether to vanish, only to resurface now, when he'd given up any hope of changing things for the better.

Now, in this moment, ignorant of where Zahariah was in the story, the Time Mage buried his face into a pillow and silently wept until he passed out.

 


End file.
